GY-63_MS5611/libraries/HeartBeat

HeartBeat

Arduino library for a HeartBeat with frequency and duty cycle.

Description

The heartbeat library offers a simple HeartBeat by sending pulses to a digital pin. Typical usage is to blink a (built in) LED as indicator a program is still alive.

The library uses no hardware timer and is based upon micros() so the user is responsible to call the beat() function as often as needed or better even more.

The library allows to set the frequency runtime, so the HeartBeat can be used as a first level debugging tool. Different frequencies can indicate a different state of the program or a different level of some sensor. No heart beat indicates the program is stuck or blocked.

For more complex patterns, please check my pulsePattern library.

Interface

The interface consists of the following functions:

• HeartBeat() constructor
• void begin(uint8_t pin, float frequency) to configure the HeartBeat. The default frequency is 1.0
• void setFrequency(float frequency) change the frequency of the pulsing.
  Will not enable or disable the HeartBeat.
  Must be > 0.001 otherwise it will be constrained to 0.001. On the upper side values beyond 10 Hz are hard for humans but are allowed.
• void setDutyCycle(float dutyCycle = 50) duty cycle in percentage time HIGH. Must be between 0.00 and 100.0. A value of 0 will put the heartbeat effectively off.
• float getFrequency() returns set frequency (or constrained value).
• float getDutyCycle() returns set duty cycle (or constrained value).
• void enable() enable the pulsing.
• void disable() disable the pulsing; will switch of the LED.
• void beat() the worker; this function checks if the HeartBeat is enabled and the LED must be toggled.
  It must be called as often as possible to keep a steady pace, at least 4 times the given frequency.
  Not calling beat() effectively stops the heartbeat.
• uint8_t getState() returns the state of the heartbeat. Useful for debugging.

Obsolete

• set(float freq) is replaced by setFrequency().

Applications

Applications include but are not limited to

• show an alive sign, typical freq of 1 Hz is sufficient.
• show error code by means of different frequencies.
  • 1 Hz = OK
  • 2 Hz = Warning
  • 5 Hz = Error
  • no signal would indicate also an error.
• indicate power e.g. round(amps) - you might need to map the range!
• indicate the volume by increasing heartBeat
• indicate a changing distant - increasing or decreasing.
• Geiger counter style.

Operation

See examples

Future

• improve documentation
• add examples